Motorola to overhaul ROKR iTunes phone
updated 04:10 pm EST, Wed November 16, 2005
New ROKR phone in 2006
BusinessWeek reports that Motorola will introduce a in the first quarter--updated to address the main criticisms of the first release. The company also said the company would "rip a page out of Apple's playbook" and begin selling phones the day after announcing them -- rather than announcing them well in advance, as it has up to now, according Reuters. The company based the change, in part, losing the edge in a competitive industry and also said that economic times and sales have also improved, allowing the company to be more secretive about upcoming products. [updated]
Expect a phone with a 1 megapixel camera, a 3.5 millimeter earphone jack (same as the iPod uses), and enough storage capacity to hold 1,000 songs -- all capabilities Motorola has confirmed. The current phone's basic design will be replaced by a new enlcosure, which BusinessWeek sources say will be an elegant slider format. "We've learned a lot," says Motorola CEO Ed Zander. "We're definitely building on the ROKR experience." iTunes will likely be part of the package, though Motorola and Cingular haven't agreed to a lineup beyond December 31.
Motorola also would not say when it plans to follow its ROKR iTunes phone with new iTunes-based gadgets, but said it would put iTunes in other Motorola handsets at operators' requests, according to Reuters.
Grizzled Veteran
Joined: Jan 2001
Ripping a page out ?!?
What are they talking about? Apple's pagebook includes a whole chapter on announcing something (anything) and then delivering it in 4 to 6 months. I want some of the crack they're smoking.